‘Disgusting’: Bailey Smith slammed over Caroline Wilson Instagram post

Geelong’s Bailey Smith has been put in the crosshairs over his ‘disgusting’ upload that referenced a veteran football reporter.

Veteran football reporter Mark Robinson has taken aim at Geelong’s Bailey Smith over some questionable moments that unfolded late in the season.

Smith found himself in the spotlight ahead of the club’s preliminary final showdown when he unleashed a verbal tirade at a photographer.

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The Cats midfielder reportedly became upset with the photographer over shots taken of him receiving treatment on the sidelines during an open training session.

Smith ignited more controversy following Geelong’s Grand Final loss with a post on Instagram about journalist Caroline Wilson.

Max Holmes was dressed as the veteran journalist and posed alongside Smith who put his middle finger in the air. He added a dripping water emoji and wrote: “caro has never looked better.”

In both instances, Smith escaped any punishment from the AFL with the Cats only announcing that going forward Mad Monday wouldn’t continue in the same manner.

Robinson, who retired from the media after 40 years in January, unloaded on the Geelong star and his antics.

The image of Max Holmes and Bailey Smith that sparked controversy.

Smith staring at the photographer after his verbal tirade. Picture: Alison Wynd

“Some of the players are really starting to sh*t me,” Robinson told AFL Trade Radio.

“I want to talk about Bailey Smith and everyone is going to call me a woke, silly old fool, but for Bailey Smith to abuse the photographer is one thing, that’s really poor.

“For Bailey Smith to be a part of an Instagram photo with (Holmes dressed as) Caroline Wilson and put a (colloquially) semen emoji up there is one of the most disgusting things I’ve seen a player do.

“If it was my mother, or my sister, or my wife … I can guarantee you myself and my three brothers would be going around to say hello to Bailey Smith.

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“Who does he think he is to put a semen emoji on a photo of (Holmes dressed as) Caroline Wilson?

“It’s not woke to call it out. It’s decency. Be a decent person. And for the AFL to allow that to go unpunished is one of the most disgusting inactions by the AFL in my time in football.

“We can all laugh at Bailey Smith and say he’s just a young man, you can have fun without being a pig.

“I’m disappointed in Greg Swann and in Andrew Dillon for allowing that to go through to the keeper without punishment.”

It wasn’t just Smith however who came under fire from Robinson with Clayton Oliver also being called out over his actions since Melbourne told him to all but find a new home.

Oliver delivered a swipe at the club after being stopped outside of the GWS Giants’ facilities on Tuesday.

“I’ve been really disappointed. The Clayton Oliver stuff. Fair dinkum,” he said.

“Does the AFL understand that the whole country is watching their players act like absolute bozos and it’s a bad reflection on the AFL and the players where it’s f***ing this and they drop c-bombs.

“And I’ll say it again. Bailey Smith doing that to Caroline Wilson, and I’m no good friend of Caroline Wilson, for him to do that to any woman is absolutely disgusting and the AFL did nothing. I cannot believe it.”

Smith wasn’t happy he was snapped on the sidelines. Picture: Alison Wynd

His Mad Monday post with Patrick Dangerfield also came under fire.

Robinson isn’t the only one to question Smith’s antics with 2008 Brownlow Medal winner Adam Cooney believing he’s putting his contract at risk if he doesn’t temper his ways.

“I think Geelong did the right thing (cancelling Mad Monday),” Cooney said on SEN.

“I think Bailey Smith overstepped the mark with the comments that were deemed to be homophobic.

“I think that was a tipping point again for Geelong.

“Bailey Smith has got to be careful. If he doesn’t pull his head in, in 12 months’ time he’s not going to be at Geelong.

“We’ll be talking about Bailey Smith in the trade period in 2026 because he is so high profile, so even the smallest thing (could be a tipping point).”

Cooney referenced Smith’s Geelong teammate Tyson Stengle, who has had his own issues away from footy, but has a much lower profile than the blond star.

Smith is the most followed AFL player on Instagram.

He had a whirlwind romance with Tammy Hembrow. Picture: tammyhembrow/Instagram

Smith has the highest Instagram following among AFL players and often makes the front and back pages of newspapers, including for his romantic links with fitness influencer Tammy Hembrow.

“Tyson Stengle has had a couple of faux pas out the front of Geelong nightclubs,” Cooney said.

“He’s of a lower profile so that gets swept under the rug a bit. It’s in the news for a day.

“Everything Bailey does is magnified by a hundred. He’s getting just a little bit too big for his boots at the moment.

“Some of the comments that he’s been making, even walking into Mad Monday saying ‘I haven’t sunk p**s for a couple of days, I’m ready to go get into it’.

“Like, he wouldn’t have said that four years ago.

“He just needs to temper it a little bit because (coach) Chris Scott gives his players an amazing amount of freedom, independence and responsibility.

“But if you don’t do the right thing by him, you’re gone. I just don’t want to see it go pear-shaped.”